A plug-in connector such as those used in modern devices, and in particular in the automotive area, for contacting control units or for connecting electrical/electronic assemblies integrated into the instrument panel to the onboard power supply, often have a large number of terminals due to the increasing complexity of such assemblies. The force required for joining conventional multi-terminal connector parts is not insignificant. The reason for this is that according to regulations a relatively high contacting force is to be applied respectively to each plug contact inserted into a sleeve contact to assure a secure contact, even under most varied environmental conditions. These contacting forces increase according to the number of contacts to be connected. In order to simplify the connection of multi-terminal plug type connectors, so-called zero force plug type connectors have been developed that can be joined with only a small force and the contacting forces are applied only at the end of the joining path.
DE 10 2004 015 344 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,291,030) describes a zero force plug type connector in which sleeve contacts are joined in a force-free manner with pin-shaped mating contacts of a second plug type connector. Only in the final joining phase of the two plug type connectors does an actuating element apply contacting force to the plug contact receiving region of a sleeve contact by sliding an adjusting plate.
EP 1 760 837 B1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,323) describes, among other things, a sleeve contact as part of an electrical zero force plug type connector. The sleeve contact has contacting blades formed as part of a base body.
This background art with respect to sleeve contacts is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 herein and is described herein in greater detail in the description of these figures.
With respect to the background art sleeve contacts, a clamping sleeve displaceable relative to the base body enables a pin-shaped plug contact to be inserted with essentially zero force into an opening of the base body when the clamping sleeve is in a first (opened) sliding position. The plug contact can be round or flat. When in a second (closed) sliding position, the clamping sleeve presses contact points and/or contacting blades of the base body against the plug contact inserted into the opening of the base body and thus produces the contacting force required to achieve a good electrical connection between the plug contact and the sleeve contact. The strength of the contacting force that can be obtained in this manner is essentially determined and limited by properties like the type of material, strength of material, and shape of the base body.